WEBVTT SOLEDAD: I'M SOLEDAD O'BRIENWELCOME TO MATTER OF FACT FROMNEW YORK CITY.REPUBLICAN SENATOR JEFF FLAKE OFARIZONA -- A VOCAL CRITIC OFPRESIDENT TRUMP -- IS GOING TOSIT OUT THE NEXT ELECTION.WHY?IN A BLISTERING SPEECH ON THESENATE FLOOR, HE BLAMED THECONTENTIOUS TENOR OF POLITICS.SEN. FLAKE: IF I HAVE BEENCRITICAL, IT IS BECAUSE IBELIEVE THAT IT IS MY OBLIGATIONTO DO SO, AS A MATTER OF DUTYAND CONSCIENCE.SOLEDAD: FLAKE JOINS FELLOWREPUBLICAN SENATOR BOB CORKER OFTENNESSEE IN HIS DECISION TOABANDON A RE-ELECTION BID -- ALLAS INCUMBENT REPUBLICANS FINDTHEMSELVES ON THE POLITICAL HITLIST OF FORMER WHITE HOUSE CHIEFSTRATEGIST STEVE BANNON.WITHIN THE GOP RANKS, BANNON'SPLEDGE THAT "NO ONE IS SAFE" ISBEING TAKEN SERIOUSLY.JOSHUA GREEN SPENT HOURSINTERVIEWING STEVE BANNON OVERTHE LAST SIX YEARS.THE RESULT, A BOOK CALLED "THEDEVIL'S BARGAIN."NICE TO HAVE YOU.JOSHUA: GREAT TO BE HERE.SOLEDAD: TRYING TO DECIDE -- WHOIS THE DEVIL IN THE DEVIL'SJOSHUA: WELL IT'S SORT OF ACHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE NOVEL.YOU CAN PICK EITHER ONE.THE IDEA BASICALLY IS THATBANNON CAME UP WITH THESE IDEASTHAT HE THOUGHT COULD GETSOMEONE ELECTED, AND TRUMP TOOKTHEM UP, GOT ELECTED.THE PROBLEM IS, AS SOON AS TRUMPHOUSE, THEY DIDN'T REALLY KNOWWHAT THEY WERE DOING.TRUMP BROUGHT IN ALL SORTS OFPEOPLE HE CAMPAIGNED AGAINST --WALL STREET BANKERS, PEOPLE LIKEGARY COHN AND STEVE MNUCHIN FROMGOLDMAN SACHS.PEOPLE LIKE REINCE PRIEBUS ANDSEAN SPICER.SOLEDAD: THE SWAMP!JOSHUA: MEMBERS OF THE SWAMP ANDTHE REPUBLICAN PARTYESTABLISHMENT.AND ALMOST IMMEDIATELY, YOU HAVETHE WHITE HOUSE BREAK OUT INTOWARFARE WHICH INHIBITED ANYTHINGFROM GETTING DONE.SOLEDAD: HIS NEW STRATEGY OFBACKING CANDIDATES AND SOUNDS TOME LIKE HE IS JUST TRYING TOBLOW THE ESTABLISHED CANDIDATESOUT OF THE WATER.JOSHUA: I THINK THAT IS EXACTLYRIGHT, AND THE REASON FOR THATIS, I THINK THAT THE BIGCHALLENGE THAT DONALD TRUMP ANDSTEVE BANNON HAVE IS TO EXPLAINAWAY THE FAILURES OF THE TRUMPPRESIDENCY TO ACCOMPLISH WHAT ITWAS THEY SAID THEY WERE GOING TODO.IN ORDER TO EXPLAIN THAT AWAY,YOU NEED A BAD GUY.WELL, THE BAD GUY CAN'T BETRUMP.HILLARY CLINTON IS NO LONGER ONTHE SCENE, ALTHOUGH REPUBLICANSARE CONSTANTLY TRYING TO PULLHER IN.SOLEDAD: DEFINITELY TRYING.JOSHUA: SO THE BAD GUY BANNONHAS DECIDED AND TRUMP HASDECIDED ARE THE REPUBLICANESTABLISHMENT.AND THE LINE THAT BANNON SELLSREPUANDDONALD TRUMP AS THEIR PRESIDENT.TH.THEY ARE WORKING BEHIND THESCENES TO UNDERMINE HIS AGENDA.WE HAVE SEEN PUBLIC CONFIRMATIONOF THAT IN THE OUTSPOKENCRITICISM FROM REPUBLICANS LIKEJOHN MCCAIN OR SENATOR BOBCORKER, OR JUST THIS PAST WEEK,SENATOR JEFF FLAKE.SO I THINK THERE IS A REALSENTIMENT THAT MAINSTREAMREPUBLICANS DON'T LIKE WHATTRUMP IS DOING.AND BANNON IS USING THAT TOPOINT TO THEM AND SAY, "WE NEEDTO DESTROYESTABLISHMENT, REPLACE THEM WITHPEOPLE LOYAL TO TRUMP."SOLEDAD: HOW ABOUT MCCONNELL?JOSHUA: MCCONNELL HAS BECOME THENEW BAD GUY IN THENUNIVERSE.WE HAVE SEEN TRUMP CRITICIZE HIMPUBLICLY.AND THE ONE LITMUS THAT BANNONHAS FOR THIS SLATE OF INSURGENT"WILL YOU PROMISE TO VOTEAGAINST MCCONNELL AS MAJORITYLEADER?"AS A CONSEQUENCE OF THIS,MCCONNELL, WHO WAS PREVIOUSLYA VERY POPULAR AND QUITEEFFECTIVE REPUBLICAN LEADER, HAGAMONG REPUBLICAN VOTERS TO 13%.SO IT IS CLEAR THAT THETRUMP/BAGEMITCH MCCONNELL AND HIS ALLIESARE TO BLAME IS RESONATING ANDBEING BELIEVED BY ORDINARYRANK-AND-FILE VOTERS.AND THAT IS GOING TO MAKE ITMUCH HARDER FOR MCCONNELL TO DOHIS JOB.SOLEDAD: HOW SUCCESSFUL DO YOUTHINK STEVE BANNON CAN BE?I MEAN, CLEARLY, THE GOP ISAFRAID OF HIMJOSHUA: ABSOLUTELY THEREPUBLICAN PARTY IS AFRAID OFHIM, PARTICULARLY POLITICALWASHINGTON.YEAH.BANNON'S IDEA WASOF THESE INCUMBENT REPUBLICANSARE INSUFFICIENTLY LOYAL TOTRUMP.AND SO HE IS GOING TO GET ASLATE OF CANDIDATES AND HE ISGOING TO GO THEM AFTERPERSONALLY AND DIRECTLY.IT WOULD PUT THE FEAR OF GOD INMAINSTREAM REPUBLICANS TO TOETHE TRUMP LINE OR RISK BEINGOUSTED.I THINK BANNON'S THREAT IS SOPOWERFUL IT DOESN'T EVEN REQUIRRUNNING CANDIDATES AGAINST THEINCUMBENTS.THEY ARE JUST GIVING UP.SOLEDAD: DO YOU BANNON?I MEAN, YOU HAVE TALKED TO HIM ALOT -- PROBABLY MORE THAN ANYOTHER JOURNALIST.JOSHUA: DAM AUTHOR, HE IS MY FAVORITECHARACTER, BECAUSE HE IS SOCONSEQUENTIAL, SO INTERESTING,AND SO MULTI-DIMENSIONAL.YOU DON'T OFTEN GET THAT INJOURNALISM.AND BANNON, FROM THE FIRST TIMEI MET HIM IN 2011, HAS BEEN THI,WILD-EYED BOMB THROWER WHOHAPPENS TO HAVE SOME VERYINTERESTING IDEAS -- AND IDEASTHAT IT WAS CLEAR, EVEN BATHEN, WERE GOING TO HAVE AGENCYAND SALIENCE WITH REPUBLICANVOTERS.BECAUSE EVEN BACK THEN, IN TEAPARTY UPRISING, YOU COULD SEETHIS STRAIN OF POPULIST ANGERBUBBLING UP ON THE RIGHT.AND BANNON HAS ALWAYS BEEN AT

How Bannon Could Change the Face of the GOP

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Updated: 4:24 PM CDT Oct 27, 2017

Incumbent Senate Republicans under attack as Steve Bannon, former White House chief strategist, declares “open season of war” against the GOP. Bannon’s promised to take out those who don’t toe President Trump’s line, and the threat is being taken seriously. How could the Republican party change? Joshua Green, a journalist with direct access to Bannon, says these personal assaults are effective. Soledad O’Brien sits down with Green to discuss the fight for control of the Republican Party, why Bannon’s message has been resonating and why he says Bannon sees white nationalists as “allies.”